"The Results Would Justify Severe Loss": The Dardanelles Naval Assault of 1915 & Operational Art

Abstract

The failed Anglo-Franco naval assault on Turkish fortifications at the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915 poses one of the greatest "What ifs?" in the history of warfare. Success could have knocked Turkey out of World War I and opened lines of communication to Russia. This paper examines the historical and strategic background behind the Dardanelles operation. It also examines the British command structure and the process by which the Dardanelles was selected as an alternate target to the Western Front. Finally, the paper analyzes the various facets of operational design and how the failure of operational art prevented the British from clearly articulating their strategic objectives and from translating those objectives into operational and tactical success.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 27, 2010
Accession Number
ADA535547

Entities

People

  • William C Hines

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aegean Sea
  • Agreements
  • Ammunition
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Army
  • Artillery
  • Boats
  • Employment
  • First World War
  • Fortifications
  • Military Operations
  • Minefields
  • Navy
  • Ships
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Strategic Security Studies